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Corruption is new terrible nian
By Joseph Christian (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-02-22 10:48
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In the ancient story of Chinese New Year, there was a terrible beast called the nian. It was a fearsome creature, with a big mouth that could swallow a man in one bite. Sort of like a really terrible mother-in-law! Yet, finally, the terrible nian was subdued.
Today, as a precaution, every year Chinese families all over the country set off a thunderous volley of fireworks to make sure the pesky nian doesn't rear its ugly head again.
Over the years, China has seen various new versions of the nian - natural disasters, foreign invasion and internal struggle. Yet, the Middle Kingdom has emerged from all of them, sometimes bruised, but always for the better.
In modern China today there is also a nian which menaces the lives of its people. This 'nian' is corruption. For the last three years, polls have shown that Chinese people believe corruption to be the No 1 stain on China's global image.
According to Zhu Xiaoqin, head of the anti-corruption bureau of Beijing People's Procuratorate, major cases involving over 100,000 yuan have seen an average annual increase of nearly 8 percent in the city. Some officials, like former vice-president of the Supreme People's Court, Huang Songyou, have been given life sentences while others are still being investigated. Corruption is a problem; it is a nian that is destroying the lives of ordinary people. 
Before I go any further, let me make it clear, I am not trying to badmouth China, every country has their own version of a nian to contend with. But I think it is clear that if you ask the common Chinese person, corruption is something they really worry about. I have asked many of my Chinese friends and students and not one of them excitedly looks me in the eye and shouts, "Of course, I love corruption, its great!" Most are embarrassed about it and would rather not talk about it beyond mentioning that it is a problem.
By nature, corruption is intimidating. Corruption takes away the fair opportunities of people that don't have the money to bribe. Corrupt officials are sending a message to a whole generation of young Chinese that whatever you do is OK as long as it gets you ahead. It's a nian that's eating the possibility of harmony in one whole bite and spitting out disgruntled people in the process.
The government is taking good steps to fight corruption, like its recent move to close down thousands of corruption-prone liaison offices that local governments had set up in Beijing. It has also investigated, disgraced, and imprisoned nian enablers within its own ranks. But corruption still remains a problem.
Nian all over China are sucking the lifeblood out of migrant workers and poor farmers. Just like the ancient story, these corruption mongers portray themselves as so "terrifying" and "powerful" they can do whatever they like.
But in the end the nian is always defeated. At some point people just aren't going to take the abuse any more. They are going to come together, line up the firecrackers and scare the nian off.
For China, I hope this comes sooner rather than later. There are other problems to be taken care of besides worrying if some local official is stuffing his pockets with public money.
